Lieu Dit Winery, Cabernet Franc, Santa Ynez Valley, California, 2020

Overview of the Wine
Lieu Dit is a partnership of longtime friends Eric Railsback and Justin Willett. The two met in Santa Barbara while Eric was finishing college and Justin was just beginning his career in winemaking. They were among a small group of young winemakers and restaurateurs in Santa Barbara unified by a common interest in wine and all its mysteries.

After countless bottles shared together and many trips to France, Railsback and Willett decided to found Lieu Dit in 2011 and focus it solely in the varieties indigenous to the Loire Valley, now grown in Santa Barbara County. The varied micro-climates and marine based soils of Santa Barbara County are ideally suited to this set of grapes. Lieu Dit centers on Sauvignon Blanc as well as limited bottlings of Melon de Bourgogne, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Rosé of Pinot Noir. Each vintage, the quest for purity, elegance, and balance in every wine is paramount.

Grape / Blend
Cabernet Franc

Origin
Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Sourced from own rooted vines planted at the Happy Canyon Vineyard in the east side of the Santa Ynez Valley. The wine is fermented using native yeast. Once dry, we rack the juice and press off the whole cluster lots. The wine is transferred to neutral oak barrels for the winter. Once malo is complete we transfer to tank prior to bottling. Lieu Dit centers on Sauvignon Blanc and more limited bottlings of Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Rose and produces around 10,000 cases annually. Each wine is intentional, approachable, and balanced.

94 Points - Vinous
The 2020 Cabernet Franc is brilliant and beautifully focused. Dazzling red cherry, mint and rose petal. Tasted next to the Cabernet Franc Sans Soufre, this has more focus and brightness. Heat spikes in 2020 seem to have dialed up the fruit and baked out some of the more vegetal Franc notes, but there is still tons of varietal character.

Product size: 750ml